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Science 26 February 1993:
Vol. 259. no. 5099, pp. 1308 - 1311
DOI: 10.1126/science.259.5099.1308
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Articles

Three-Dimensional Instabilities of Mantle Convection with Multiple Phase Transitions

S. Honda 1, D. A. Yuen 2, S. Balachandar 3, and D. Reuteler 2

1 Department of Earth and Planetary Systems Science, University of Hiroshima, Higashi-Hiroshima 724, Japan
2 Minnesota Supercomputer Institute and Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55415
3 Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801

The effects of multiple phase transitions on mantle convection are investigated by numerical simulations that are based on three-dimensional models. These simulations show that cold sheets of mantle material collide at junctions, merge, and form a strong downflow that is stopped temporarily by the transition zone. The accumulated cold material gives rise to a strong gravitational instability that causes the cold mass to sink rapidly into the lower mantle. This process promotes a massive exchange between the lower and upper mantles and triggers a global instability in the adjacent plume system. This mechanism may be cyclic in nature and may be linked to the generation of superplumes.

Submitted on November 4, 1992
Accepted on December 17, 1992


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